Riding breeches and the like



June 7, 1938.

E. F. ROBERTS ET AL RIDING BREECHES AND THE LIKE Filed .June 26, 19.37

Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED YSTATES RIDING BREECHES AND THE LIKE Edward F. Roberts, Rye, and Seth Adamson, Larchmont, N. Y., assignors to United States Rubber Products, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 26, 1937, Serial No. 150,450

6 Claims.

This invention while applicable to various garments relates more particularly to riding breeches and jcdhpurs where a tight or snug t is desired in the vicinity of the knee and calf, and the protection aorded by leather is desired along the inside of the leg in the vicinity of the knee to take the wear of the saddle.

The present invention contemplates an extremely simple and practical construction where- 10 by this leather protection along the inside of the leg is provided and a snug but comfortable fit of the garment about the knee andcalf of the leg is secured.

In the Alfred Vamos application Serial No.

133,122 filed March 26, 1937 there is shown, de-

scribed and claimed a stretchable laminated leather fabric consisting of a leather sheet that has been treated to cause it to have a substantial range of stretch and which is provided with a backing of elastic fabric secured to the leather to contract it. Such stretchable laminated leather fabric is admirably a-dapted for use in carrying out this invention.

In accordance with'the present invention the desired protection along the inside of the leg and the improved lit of the garment about the calf and in the vicinity of the knee are readily secured by cutting Vaway each leg of the garment in the vicinity of the knee and calf and by securing in this cut away portion an insert formed of the above mentionedrstretchable laminated leather fabric.

Such a garment will possess a number-of advantages over the breeches or jodhpurs provided heretofore and having a leatherpatch at the in side of the leg. In the first place since the stretchable leather fabric above mentioned may have any desired stretch up to 50% or more this stretch and contractive force in the leg encircling direction will cause the leg of the garment to fit neatly and snugly about the calf of the leg without exerting an uncomfortable binding pressure. In the second place since the present leather fabric is not sewed to the garment in the form of a patch overlying the fabric of the garment, but is used as an insert'placed in a cut-out portion of the garment a better seam and heater appearing garment will be produced;

50 and furthermore the use of this elastic leather fabric serves to make the leg portion of the garment elastic just where it is most desired.

The above and other features of the invention will be more further understood from the fol- 55 lowing description when read inV connection withV the accompanying drawing illustrating good practical forms thereof.

In the drawing: Y

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a pair of ladys riding breeches embodying the present invention, 5 one leg of the garment being twisted to show the leather insert along the inner side of the leg;

Fig. 2 is a similar View of a pair of jodhpurs embodying the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a pieceof stretchable, laminated leather fabric used in carrying out the present invention; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line i-ll of Fig. l.

The present invention may be employed in conl5 nection with various types of trousers or in the sleeves of a coat or jacket, when it is desired to provide both the stretch and leather protection of the present construction in the vicinity of a knee or at the elbow of a garment. The present Y construction, however, is particularly well adapted for use in riding breeches and jodhpurs, Y

Referring to the construction of Fig. l, the y upper portion of the breeches may have the usual or any preferred construction and as here shown the front of the breeches is formed of the panels I secured together along the vertical front seam 2. The rear of the garment is formed of the rear panels 3, sewed together along a vertical central seam l. The front panels I and rear '36 panels 3 are secured together at the sides of the garment along the vertical seams 5. These side seams 5 in the construction shown terminate some distance below the waist band 6 to provide for the side fastening means such as 35 buttons l and button holes 8 in the vicinity of the hips.

The breeches of Fig. 1 may extend downwardly the usual distance below the knee and each front panel IV is shown as having a leg 4b portion 5 of reduced width extending downwardly to the end of the leg, and each rear panel 3 is likewise provided with a portion l? of reduced width extending downwardly to the bottom or hem of the leg as shown. The front leg portion and rear leg portion may be connected below the crotch by the in-seam Il.

The upper portion of these breeches may be constructed as usual', and as a matter of 'fact the riding breeches of l need notdiffer in any way from the ordinary riding breeches now in use, except that each leg portion thereof is cut away at the inside of the leg from a point above l the knee downwardly to the bottomof the leg.A

The amount of the leg portion `thus cut away,7

will depend upon the size of the leg'areain which it is desired to provide the combined leather protection and contractive force of the present invention. `In the construction shown the portion ofthe leg cut away is about the size of the;

leather patch which is commonly provided at the inside of the leg, except that-in the present construction ,the Ycutaway portion of the leg if-land may be sewed tothe .rear leg along the seam i4, using therat seam shown in extends 'Y downwardly to the bottomjof the leg. Y

Within this cut away portion of eachV leg is provided an insert of stretchable laminated leather fabric I2. This insert I2 may be sewed to the front leg portion 9 ofthe breechesfalong the seam portion I@ Fig. 4.. 'As a result of this construction the Vdei sired protection afforded by leather is provided Vthe vicinity of the knee andrcalf,

alongfthe inside of the leg of the breeches in same time thisrportion of each leg is rendered elastic or stretchable in the leg encircling direction to cause the garment to fit snugly but com- Y fortably about the calf and knee ofthe wearer.

`The Vstretchable laminated leather fabric. I 2 having any desired amount of stretch up to 50% or more Vmay be constructed, as pointed out in the above mentioned Vamos application by taking a sheet or skin of ordinary tannedleather of the type that has been commonly used :heretoforetoiprovide the usual patch at the inside of Vthe legs of riding breeches'or jodhpurs.V Such leather may then be skived at-'itsV flesh sideV or r YVofsoda, or instead Y Y Y withrthis liquid for afewininutes.

jecting the leatherto this wetting treatment for Y j a few minutesit should be wiped off to *removeV Y p it will tend to YVremain in this stretched or ex-V tended condition unless means is provided for to its former contracted condition.

fabric I2 is illustrated in Fig.V 3, wherein thetreat-V waterA which otherwise treated to' improve the penetration-of liquid into Ythe leather`.- This tanned leather sheet may then be rendered stretchable to apronounced degree by soaking the same. for a few minutes in Y i has had dissolved therein about equal quantitiesfof common saltl and-.bicarbonate of soaking the tanned leather leather may be simply wetted in this liquid the After subany excess deposits of the salt or sodaY from the Vfaces thereof, and is then permitted to dry in an unstretched condition. When the leather has beenjdried it will beA foundithat it can be stretched in any direction to a substantial degree, but that returning it Y The treated stretchable leather is therefore provde-d with a backing of elastic fabric to normally hold the leatherV inl its contracted condition. Y

A piece of this stretchable laminated'leather Ved leather sheet I5'is shown asV partly rolled back to show the underlying backing fabric lt'which isrrmly secured toV therleather by an Velastic cement suchrfcr example', as latex'cement I1. The elastic fabric I6 isrpreferably a woven elastic fabric provided with the elasticthread I8 either as warped or weft., The elastic threads I8 may be constructed as described in the' Adamson Patent No. 1,822,847. The ieather'i'nsert l2 should' be so arranged in'the leg .of the garment thatV the elastic threads I8 Vwill extend in the leg' encircling direction as will be apparent from Fig. 1. The dot and dash lines I2' in Fig. 3 are intend- Vedl to convey the idea that the fabric I2 is stretchable, This leather fabric vI2 will remain smooth.

and free from wrinklesthroughout its range of stretch. Y 'Y 1 The jodhpurs illustrated in ig. Y2 may becchstructed the same as the breeches of l,V exwhile at the Y the garment. The jodhpurs are shown as having the leg portion 9 of the front panel and leg portion VIll of the rear panel as extending downwardly to the cuff I9 an-d each cuff may have extendingy downwardly therefrom the usual strap 2D.. Y Y

In the construction of Fig. v2 the trouser, legs are cut-awayV adjacent theV in-seam II from a point above the knee to a point below the calf stretchable Vleather I2. These inserts rI2 will Y protect the leg of the rider from thefrction of the saddle and will also contract this portion of the leg of the garment about the knee and calf to 'givey the garment a snug fit in this vicinity.

cept for the increase inthe length of the legs vof r 1o` Yand in this cutaway portion is inserted the The leather I2 if desired may be perforated forv l Ventilating purposes.V It is found in practice that small perforations maybe cut through the leather and underlying elastic fabric without appreciably weakening the strength of either the leather or the fabric since the firmness with which the elastic` fabric is woven and the binding Y action of the adhesive I1 will prevent slippage of the rubber threads I8 which may have been cut by the perforating operation. Y

[The features of the present invention may bel employed not only in trousers, breeches andjodhpurs, but n also .in coats and jackets. For exampleithe coat or jacket worn in' target shooting y is frequentlyprovidedwith a leather patch at `the. elbow to protect the arm when the elbow rests `upon the ground. The elbowr vicinityof i these jackets might well-,be `provided with the stretchable leather fabric of the present invention. This stretchable fabric I2 may alsobe Y used in other types of garments where the pro-Y tecting property andvelasticity of the present fabric is desired.

Having thus described ourrinvention, whatwe claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:`

1. A pair of breeches or jodhpurs provided with legs extendingY below the knees and each leg` havingV a transversely stretchable Vportion'inthe Y vicinity of the knee', said stretchable portion consisting of a stretchable insert or area formed of a' flat sheet of leather having a` substantial stretch in the -leg embracingV direction and backed throughout with woven elastic fabric'securedto Vthe leather to contract it'. Y r Y 2.V A pair of trousers, breeches or jodhpurs provided .withlegs extending below theknees and each leg having a" transversely stretchable portion consisting of a stretchable insertV or areaV formed ofV a flat sheet of leather having a'substantial stretch in the leg encircling direction Vand backed throughout with elastic fabric secured tothe leather to contract it.

3. A pair of breeches or jodhpurs providedwith; vlegs extending below the knees-andwadapted snugly to embrace the leg of the wearerY in the vicinity ofV theV knee and calf and provided in 'Y said vicinity with an insert formed of a fiat sheet of leather having a substantial stretch in the leg embracing direction Yand backedthroughout withY elastic fabric secured to theleather to contract it.

4. A pair of fabric trousers, breeches orjodhpurs Vprovided with leg portions extending below Vthe knee, each leg portion having an area thereof'cut away in the vicinity of vthe knee vand having secured yin said cut-away area an insert. Vformed of a flat sheet of leather having'a sub- Y stantial stretch inthe leg 'encirclingl direction and backed; throughout with *elastic fabric secured to the leather toV contract it. fr Y Y so f bracing portions, each limb embracing portion being provided in the vicinity of the bend of the limb with an insert formed of a at sheet of leather having a substantial stretch in the limb embracing direction and provided with a sheet of elastic fabric adhesively secured to the entire 5 inner face of the leather to contract it.

EDWARD F. ROBERTS. SETH ADAMSO-N. 

